Oppōnere Casus Belli
by vanille panda
Summary: When Bella Swan flees to Forks for her own safety she meets the elusive Edward Cullen. Their relationship will have ramifications for all, because Bella is part of a dangerous world, a world Edward has no idea exists. And he's not the only one with a secret that can kill.


Quick note: This story is AU but everyone who is normally a vampire will be a vampire and everyone who is normally human will be human. Bella will not have any extra...abilities...that she doesn't have in the book. There are a wealth of OCs in this story, but I promise they will not be Mary Sues or take the focus off of Bells and Eddie. If you are a little confused by this first chapter, have no fear, your questions will be answered later on in the story.

Other then that, please enjoy and feedback is very welcome xxx

(quick warning, Bella has a sister)

* * *

Bella woke slowly, shifting against the coarse material beneath her and irritating the burns on the backs of her arms and legs. She was lying, naked but for the bandages binding her ribs and left ankle, several layers of loosely woven straw mat and blanket keeping her off the dirt floor.  
A stained sheet hung from the ceiling, shielding her from the rest of the room. The air stank of filth and was thrumming with heat and flies and the distant shouts of children. Bella drew in a deep breath of the dusty fetid air and choked.

'Bella?' A young woman dressed in a man's shirt and camouflage trousers pushed through the makeshift curtain. Circling her chest and hips were myriad of black straps, with empty loops for guns and knives and grenades, but only a lone rifle was slung over her shoulder.

'Bella, you awake?' The woman frowned at Bella's body and Bella became acutely aware of her nakedness.

'Where're my clothes?' It was little more then a slurred mumble but the women seemed to understand for she ducked under the sheet and returned a moment later with a small bundle of fabric. Shedding the rifle, she knelt beside Bella and pulled her into a sitting position. The fibres of the blanket tugged at Bella's damaged skin and she moaned in pain as she was pushed into a large shirt and a pair of knickers.

'Sorry about the stains, but it's the only thing I've got.' It was then Bella noticed the large red-brown drops of blood that smattered the shirt. Her stomach rolled.

'Where're _my_ clothes?'

'Gone. Now come on. Up. You should drink.'

The woman hauled Bella up, either not noticing or caring that her ankle dragged painfully across the ground. On the other side of the curtain two upturned crates formed a table, around which sat four fold-out chairs. Flattened cardboard lined the floor and walls and rust covered sheets of corrugated tin acted as a roof; the only light came from a sloped gap in the makeshift walls.

'Where are we?'

'Safe. Now sit and drink.'

Bella sat and drank; something foul and bitter from a flask on the table. The women sat opposite her; kept glancing at Bella as she shifted through a sheaf of discoloured paper.

'Where are we?'

'_Safe_. I told you.' The woman scowled at Bella.

'Yes, but _where_ is safe?'

At the woman's silence Bella tried again.

'Fine...can you tell me where my mum is? Phil? My sister?'

'Renée and Phil are also safe.' She didn't look up.

'Well…what about Cal, where's she?'

'She-' But the woman was cut off by a loud ripping sound as air was displaced and a man popped into existence. He was pale and stringy, with a pointed face and thin ponytail. Like the woman he wore camouflaged trousers and heavy boots. A vest soaked through with blood hung off his chest.

'_Frank_? Jesus - is that yours?' The woman started towards him.

Frank looked down at himself, surprised.

'Mine? What? Oh no – this isn't _my_ blood! Cal's had me shifting the bodies.'

The women looked faintly disgusted at this and sat back down.

'What are you doing here anyway?'

'I'm here to collect Swan. Cal's had Maggie check Forks and we've got the all clear.' As he spoke, Frank pealed his sopping shirt off with a loud slap and flung it to one side. His stomach was smeared with blood and sweat, but thick lumps of scar tissue were still visible in a cross above his heart.

'Good.' The woman said. 'I've had enough of babysitting duty.'

Bella felt mildly indignant at this; after all she'd only been conscious for all of 10 minutes, so she couldn't have been that much of a nuisance. And had she _asked_ to be dumped in this dank hut? The answer was no and Bella was about to protest at being likened to an infant when a wave of nausea crashed over her and her vision dimmed and swirled. She groaned loudly, bending over her knees.

'I see you've already given her the sedative.' Frank sounded amused.

'Sedative?' Bella tried to ask, but her tongue and lips were too heavy to properly form the word. It felt as if someone had filled her head with lead.

'I thought I'd save you the trouble. Now could you please _leave_ and take her off my hands? I've got a million and one things to do before I can get out of this hellhole and it's going to take me long enough without having to patch someone up every other sodding minute!'

'You're the boss.'

The woman scowled at his chipper tone and said, 'You need arming?'

'Nah, I'm only going to The Bunker. I'll be fine.'

Bella groaned again, more feebly this time, as Frank lugged her up by the armpits and secured his arms around her chest. She tried to bat him away, but her hands wouldn't cooperate and the lead in her brain was starting to fill her limbs. The last thing she saw was the woman's pretty face twisted in a sneer and a flash of piercing light.

* * *

When Bella next woke she was much more comfortable; she was lying on cool, clean sheets and the air smelt lightly of pine and damp. When she forced open her heavy lids she was greeted by the familiar spidery cracks of her childhood bedroom ceiling.

'Bella?' Slim fingers probed her neck for a pulse. 'You need to get up.'

Bella squinted at the figure by her side. 'Cal?' She croaked. 'What? I don't…'

Cal smoothed Bella's hair back and said, 'Don't worry, you're safe now. We're in Forks. With Charlie.'

Bella struggled to sit up, her arms weak and shaky. There was a sour taste at the back of her throat. 'What am I doing here? Where's mum? Is she-'

'Renée is fine, Phil too. They're safe in Phoenix.'

Bella shook her head in an attempt to clear it, 'Why…why am I here?'

Cal passed Bella a glass of water. 'I'm afraid you can't return to Phoenix with Renée. It would be far too dangerous; you'll be living here from now on – with Charlie.'

Bella stared dumbly at Cal. 'But…I have school.'

'There's a school here too.'

'But…' Bella broke off, fearing if she continued the tears would start. Instead she turned away, focusing on the national geographic poster on brown bears on her far wall.

'I'm sorry Bella. I tried, really I did.'

'Will I ever see her again?'

'Well…yes….eventually I suppose.' Cal said, 'Not right away, of course, but you can ring her at times, and possibly email.'

Bella sniffed noisily and scrubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. She sipped her water slowly with her eyes closed before saying, 'This water is drugged.'

'Yes. But it's only codeine for the pain; you have two broken ribs, a sprained ankle, first and second degree burns and several impressive looking bruises.'

'What about you?'

'I'll be fine.'

'And everyone else?'

Cal stayed silent.

'_Cal_. What about the others?'

'Are you sure…'

'Just tell me!' Bella said, 'I have the right to know!'

Cal said quietly, 'John and Rhys didn't make it.'

Bella huffed out a breath, stared at her fraying quilt, 'How-?'

'Sniper fire. We think John was taken alive.'

'And Rhys?'

'Shot to the head.'

* * *

Cal had changed since Bella had last seen her. Her sleek blonde hair was gone, and in its place were wiry black curls knotted in a bun. Blue eyes had turned brown and her cheekbones were rounder. There was evidence of her time in the dessert in her newly browned skin and fading scars.

She helped Bella shower and wash the blood out her hair, she rewrapped her ribs and ankle and spread gel over her burns then helped her into a clean pair of pyjamas.

She chattered constantly - 'I'll bring some more of your stuff over later. It's just, Phoenix is a bit of a hot zone right now, and I don't want people getting killed just for collecting your underwear.' – 'Seriously, Bella, I worry about your past self. I mean – _stamp collecting_?' – 'Speaking of hair, you have _got_ to get yours cut; you now have split _hairs_, not split _ends_.'

She made Bella spaghetti for lunch and watched her eat. Bella concentrated on keeping her fork steady and asked, 'What does Charlie know?'

'About what?' Cal had tipped the sugar from the sugar bowl out onto the wax tablecloth and was tracing patterns in it, pausing occasionally to lick her finger.

Bella said, 'Well, about why I'm here. I can't just pop up with a, 'Hey Dad, long time no see!''

'I'll talk to him.'

'And say _what_ exactly?'

'I haven't figured that part out yet.'

They were silent for awhile, the only sound coming from the clatter of Bella's dishes as she cleared the table with trembling hands. She sighed, dragged a hand through her hair and said, 'I haven't seen him in years! And the last time I spoke to him was on my birthday!'

'I know.' Cal was quiet, staring at the table. 'I am sorry Bella.'

Bella wanted to cry, instead she said. 'Would you just _stop_ that? You're making a mess.'

Cal stopped messing with the sugar and stood up abruptly. 'I need to make a phone call.'

Bella sighed again and began to wash up. She could hear Cal in the sitting room, could see her silhouette hissing down a long black cell phone through a crack in the door. Cal was tense and spoke in broken French. '_Tais-toi! - Si je voulais votre avis, je l'aurais demandé! …Non! Non, absolument pas! Pas du tout! Je veux sortir tout le monde de là maintenant , tout de suite! Tu me comprends?'_

Bella paused as she heard the rumble of a car as it pulled up outside the house and felt inexplicably nervous. She ran her hands through her hair to try and smooth it down.

Cal snapped her cell closed, she joined Bella in the kitchen and they stood awkwardly, listening to the rattle of keys and the creak of the front door.

Charlie was home.


End file.
